RFC-2119

Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels

Defines the precise meaning of MUST, SHALL, SHOULD, MAY, and their negatives when used in standards and specifications. The de facto convention for requirement language across all engineering domains.

Document
RFC 2119 (1997)
URL
https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2119
Label
Standard
Keywords
requirement levels MUST SHALL SHOULD MAY normative language RFC keywords

Domain: Software Engineering · Standard